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The TV in your home could be shaping your kids in ways you don’t realize and won’t like.

Two new studies out today draw links between television and aggression, adding to a body of
research about the downsides of screen time that has prompted pediatricians to recommend less TV
for kids and none for those younger than 2.

In one study, researchers in Seattle worked with 565 parents of preschool-age children, helping
some of them substitute high-quality programs for programs that were deemed aggressive. They didn’t
aim to decrease overall TV time. The kids who watched shows that were considered pro-social and
less violent had slightly better scores on a scale the researchers used to assess social competence
and behavior, including aggression.

The other study followed more than 1,000 New Zealanders from birth to age 26 and found that
those who spent more time in front of a TV during childhood and adolescence were significantly more
likely to commit crimes, including violent ones. It also found they were more likely to be
aggressive and be diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder.

Both studies appear today in the journal
Pediatrics.

Other research has found that too much television contributes to childhood obesity, erodes
thinking and can increase the chance of attention problems, wrote Dr. Claire McCarthy, a Boston
Children’s Hospital pediatrician, in an opinion piece that also appears in the journal.

But many parents ignore advice on limiting screen time.

“We keep saying it and saying it — as if saying it repeatedly or more firmly is all we need to
do to make people change their behavior — in the face of overwhelming evidence that the behavior is
not changing,” she wrote. “I am pretty sure that qualifies as insane.”

Dr. Dan Coury, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s
Hospital, said the studies build on evidence that TV can contribute to aggression. But the Seattle
study provides hope that choosing the right television programs can lead to less-aggressive
children, Coury said.

“Many popular cartoon shows have what is called ‘cartoon violence,’ ” he said. “Tom and Jerry
are always fighting.”

Parents should look closely at the programs their children are watching and try to choose
pro-social and educational options, he said. “ ‘Just say no’ has not helped with sexual
abstinence, has not helped with reducing unwanted pregnancies, but contraception has. If you can’t
stop a behavior, let’s see if we can make it better.”

John M. Grohol, a psychologist and founder of the mental-health and psychology network
PsychCentral.com, said he found both of the new studies weak, like much of the research linking
screen time to behavioral and other problems.

“For kids under age 2, the research seems to suggest that limiting TV time is a really good
idea, as a baby’s brain is developing. The more you can limit that time, I think the better for the
child overall,” he said.

“Once you get beyond age 2, however, the data become a lot fuzzier and a lot less clear.”

Grohol said he suspects many parents are ignoring the American Academy of Pediatrics
recommendations on screen time “because they kind of fly in the face of people’s personal
experiences.”

Multiple generations have grown up with TV, and there’s no evidence that it has resulted in more
psychologically disturbed people overall, he said.